The 1474/75 item is ambiguous. A reader who was unaware that parish fundraising in late medieval and early modern times was not infrequently done in the name of Robin Hood would almost certainly read "hodg" as "Hodge" rather than "Hood". In support of this reading, one could even point to entries for expenses in these accounts incurred "at John Huletes ale" (1465) and "at Hulets ale a general chapt'r day" (1466).<ref>{{:Ellis, W_Patterson_1908a}}, see p. 28; {{:Ellis, W_Patterson_1910a}}, see p. 89.</ref>

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The 1474/75 item is ambiguous. A reader who was unaware that parish fundraising in late medieval and early modern times was not infrequently done in the name of Robin Hood would almost certainly read "hodg" as "Hodge" rather than "Hood".

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+

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In support of this reading, one could even point to entries for expenses in these accounts incurred "at John Huletes ale" (1465) and "at Hulets ale a general chapt'r day" (1466).<ref>{{:Ellis, W_Patterson_1908a}}, see p. 28; {{:Ellis, W_Patterson_1910a}}, see p. 89.</ref>

Records

[1496/97:][14s. profits gathered by Robin Hood at the May Ale at Whitsun][2]

[1501/1502:][20s. gathered by Robin Hood at the May Ale at Whitsun][2]

Source notes

Entries in brackets are modern paraphrases of the original records.

IRHB comments

The 1474/75 item is ambiguous. A reader who was unaware that parish fundraising in late medieval and early modern times was not infrequently done in the name of Robin Hood would almost certainly read "hodg" as "Hodge" rather than "Hood".

In support of this reading, one could even point to entries for expenses in these accounts incurred "at John Huletes ale" (1465) and "at Hulets ale a general chapt'r day" (1466).[3]

1988a 8-9

In 1474/75, "Ite. we recevyd of ye chryche Ale at Wytsu'tyde ciiis iiiid[1] SAME YEAR AS RH ALE

1478/80, money collected "at Wytsontyde" received from Isabella Chapman who perhaps also handed in the amount received in "hocking money"
[4]

In 1445, "we reseyved off ye chyrch all at Whyttson tyde " 10s.10d., while 3s4d. was gathered at a play on some unstated occasion.[5]

In 1452, "an alle at phyllyppys day & jakob" – St Phillip and St James the Less, 3 May[6] – brought in 10s.7d½d, while the income from "howyr hale at Wytsontyd" was 17s.[7]

In 1471/72 receipts included 15s.8d. "gathered at Wytsontyde from ye p'she"[9]. The Whitsun festival that year also involved expenses. John Payntor was paid 4d for "lyvarages at Wytsontide". These were painted badges, often called "liveries" or "small liveries", that people who took part in the festival or "ale" wore to show they had paid the sum – or some sum – required from participants. The sum of 16d was spent on "the book of Jacob and his 12 sons at Wytsontide".[10] The profit that year was therefore 14s.8d.

In 1488 receipts "against Wytsontide of ye May Ale all clere deductyng expènsys" amounted to 20s. There is mention of a play, but it is not clear on which occasion this took palcxe.[11]

In 1454, two entries for receipt of "May Sylver" from John Baker and Thomas Dagnale, respectively.[12]